It’s likely that you’ll be exporting electricity to the grid at least some of the time, so you should look into how much you’ll get paid for this.

There will also be constraints on how much you can export. This will depend on the details of your individual connection to the network, and the design of the network in your wider area. This may be more of an issue if your on-site electricity consumption is highly variable, which will mean you’ll be exporting more often. A solar installer or consultant will liaise with your lines company to understand these constraints, which may influence the optimum system size.

A business that has higher electricity prices will see the best returns from an investment in solar. You’ll need to consider how much your business pays for electricity at different times of the day and year, as this affects overall savings.

For businesses with higher energy consumption, it’s also likely that there will be more specific charges itemised on your bill. This will include lines charges for electricity transmission and distribution. The magnitude of these costs, and whether or not they are fixed, can have a significant influence on the financial payback of commercial-scale solar.

Solar will provide the best financial returns for businesses with high daytime electricity use. This is because you will maximise the value of your system by directly using the majority of the power generated on site.

For businesses who use most of their electricity during the day, when the solar panels are generating the most power, savings can be significant.

Understanding your business’s electrical energy profile is a great way to start. Ask your retailer if they can provide this information for each half hour of the last year. Also consider whether you could shift more of your existing electricity consumption to the daytime if you installed solar.